I've been interested in vacuum hold down systems for a while. But I am not sure how they would perform with my parts. Here is a typical sheet I cut:
This is .065" aluminum or thinner brass or nickel silver 4" by 9". Currently, I hold down around the edges (on my tool plate), mill the holes/ports in the 3 disks. Then mill the perimeter with 3 tabs on each disk. They are a PIA to deal with and it would save me a lot of time if I could just do a clean cut around the perimeter to separate the parts. I have been working in a dedicated tooling plate for this sheet that has a tapped hole located at the centers of each disk. I would cut the stock to dimension, pre-drill the center holes (on the mill) and then mount the sheet on the mill using dimensioned pins in the holes in the tooling plate to align the stock. Then I'd mill the cutouts/ports as usual. Pause the program after they are cut and replace each of the alignment pins with a screw and a large "washer" to hold down the disk. These washers would be about .25" diameter smaller than the disk so they hold close to the edge (and I'd probably dish the underside so the porch is at the edge). Then I could cut the profiles cleanly.
Although this would work, it is a bit time-consuming (but maybe produce better results than dealing with tabs) since I have to pre-drill the center holes in one setup, use a different setup to mill, and relocate clamps during each run. A vacuum clamping system seems like it would be the best option but with all of the holes in my parts (there isn't much metal left!) I don't know how well they would work.
Anyone with any experience with this?
The Mitee-Bite system Hoss linked to does not use a vacuum pump, it uses air pressure. That seems like an ideal solution for both cost and to eliminate potential of contaminating a vacuum pump with coolant.
cheers,
Michael
Reelsmith, Angling Historian, and Author of "The Reelsmith's Primer"
www.EclecticAngler.com | www.ReelLinesPress.com